Sport

Ryan overcomes Kenny to take his seventh title

Derek Ryan is the Irish squash champion for the seventh time after defeating Liam Kenny in straight games in yesterday's Speedway…

Mon Dec 18 2000 - 00:00

Derek Ryan is the Irish squash champion for the seventh time after defeating Liam Kenny in straight games in yesterday's Speedway Couriers-sponsored final at Fitzwilliam. Ryan has contested 10 finals in a row and his unbeaten record in the event stretches back to 1995.

His biggest obstacle this time proved to be the talented Galwayman John Rooney. In the semi-final on Saturday night, Rooney was a game and 5-2 up on Ryan before the sluggish champion got his act together to squeeze through 10-9 in the fourth.

Kenny, who came through the Australian Institute of Sport but has recently declared for Ireland as his father is from Cork, impressed greatly on Saturday in seeing off third seed Patrick Foster in straight games and he was expected to push Ryan hard in the final.

Instead, the Dubliner took command from the start taking the ball early and volleying effectively to move Kenny around the court and score winners. Only in the third game when he started to use the short ball more often did Kenny threaten but Ryan's retrieving was of its normal high standard and he closed out the match with a perfect lob, winning 9-4, 9-1, 9-7.

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The arrival of Kenny and the improvement of Foster and Rooney who are now playing full time should boost Ireland's prospects in next year's European Championships. "I'm really excited about it. I think we're lucky to have someone of Liam's calibre. He's on the up as are John Rooney and Paddy Foster so we'll be going away the strongest team since I've been playing," said Ryan.

Eleanor Lapthorne won the women's title for the first time when she defeated Louise Finnegan in straight games.

Following the withdrawal through injury of favourite Madeline Perry, there was guaranteed to be a new winner of the event. Fourth seeded Finnegan caused the first surprise when she beat the Leinster and Munster Open winner Aisling Blake in the semi-final. She couldn't reproduce that form in the final. Lapthorne hit some well-disguised winners and gratefully accepted some poor Finnegan errors to win in just 26 minutes, 9-3, 9-3, 9-5.